It was a rematch of last year’s Big Ten Tournament title game and, for 20 minutes, both teams already appeared in championship form.
Now that the Spartans have fought their way into the Big Ten Tournament’s semifinals, it’s time to look ahead to the team standing in their way from a return trip to the championship round.
In the college basketball world, desperation can be a strange feeling.
With a potential NCAA Tournament bid on the line, many expected Fran McCaffery and No. 6 seed Iowa to come out swinging in a second-round matchup against the No. 8 seed MSU men’s basketball team. And after one half of play, the Hawkeyes look like a team who wants to go dancing.
Tom Izzo has never been afraid to send a message. Coming off a loss to then-No. 7 Indiana, the MSU basketball team returned to Breslin Center in January in need of a victory against a tough Illinois team.
Derrick Nix is many things. Articulate, brash, confident, cocky, funny, stubborn. But one word likely has never been used — softy.
MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo described it as a “historic” tournament for the conference — the first time the Big Ten has had a field featuring six teams ranked in the top 10 during the course of the season.
It didn’t take long for Steven Neville, also known as one of the Angry Birds that flocked the Breslin Center this past season, to respond to one simple question — what comes to mind when thinking of the Izzone? “Loud,” the hospitality business junior said.
With the postseason approaching, most college basketball coaches are burying their heads in scouting reports and scouring hours of game film, looking for any detail to give them an edge on the competition.
Elementary education senior Louis Armbrecht is going home to Chicago to watch basketball this weekend, but the 2013 Men’s Basketball Big Ten Tournament isn’t the top priority for the Spartan Brass trombone player.
The MSU women’s basketball team won’t learn its next opponent until shortly after 7 p.m. Monday when the NCAA Tournament selection show kicks off on ESPN.
Derrick Nix never has been afraid to speak his mind and at times, it’s been known to land the senior center in hot water.
It’s easy for Suzy Merchant to be disappointed with the outcome of the Big Ten Tournament. And she was.But should she be?
The MSU women’s basketball team exorcised their demons against Michigan and top-seeded Penn State on Friday and Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament, but ran out of gas on Sunday against No.
Entering Sunday’s game with Northwestern, the No. 10 MSU men’s basketball team knew it would need more than a victory against the Wildcats — it would also need a win from the team down the road.
In the MSU women’s basketball team’s 62-47 loss to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, one player stood out above the rest – but she wasn’t a Spartan. One year ago, sixth year Purdue forward Drey Mingo stood on the sidelines in warm-ups as the Boilermakers won the Big Ten Tournament without her on the court. This season, she was named most outstanding player of the tournament.
Klarissa Bell can’t remember the last time she didn’t score a point in a game. “I sucked today,” Bell said. “Plain and simple, I sucked, and that can’t happen again.”
The temptation was there even before the opening tip.